Dell UltraSharp 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE) Review: The Best Looking LCD Monitor I've Tested

I've been eyeing OLED machine monitors for a agelong time, but Dell conscionable convinced maine to instrumentality with LCD. The company's caller UltraSharp 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE) blew distant my expectations with its amazingly heavy contrast, integrated Thunderbolt 4 hub, and justifyable terms tag.

Price and Availability

The Dell UltraSharp 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE) is disposable for $700 astatine the Dell web store. It is not sold by Amazon oregon different third-party retailers astatine the clip of publication.

It Ain't OLED, but It Looks Great

Like astir nonrecreational monitors, the Dell U2725QE utilizes an IPS show panel—it's not an OLED screen. So, I didn't expect the U2725QE to look each that antithetic from the U2720QM that I've owned since 2021. Both monitors usage a 4K 27-inch IPS panel, neither of them person section dimming zones, and due to the fact that they're some from Dell, they presumably usage a akin colour profile.

But the caller Dell U2725QE offers an exceptionally, undeniably amended viewing acquisition than my aged monitor. And this is astir apt owed to Dell's usage of an "IPS Black" panel—a unsocial mentation of IPS that utilizes a reversed pixel-activation strategy to execute an enhanced opposition ratio. The Dell U2725QE boasts a 3,000:1 opposition ratio and purportedly delivers 47% deeper achromatic levels than a accepted IPS screen. The 99% of DCI-P3 colour sum is besides excellent, though not unexpected astatine this price. In immoderate case, the U2725QE is 1 of the best-looking LCDs I've ever encountered. It's adjacent got a semi-matte texture to trim glare, which is greatly appreciated successful my sunny office.

Plus, the show packs a 120Hz refresh rate, which feels noticeably smoother and much immersive than my U2720QM's 60Hz screen. The U2725QE's 120Hz refresh complaint and 5ms effect clip are much than good for gaming, too, though I wouldn't bargain this show explicitly for gaming. Other monitors volition springiness you a faster refresh rate, effect time, positive FreeSync oregon G-Sync support. But arsenic idiosyncratic who works astatine a machine and lone plays PC games a fewer times a year, the Dell U2725QE is precise accommodating.

All Monitors Should Have a Built-in Thunderbolt Hub

I've been successful the Dell show ecosystem for immoderate time. So, I'm much than acquainted with the conception of a show with an integrated USB hub, and I've stretched this conception to its limits much than once. The backside of my aged U2720QM show is simply a genuine nightmare—every 1 of its ports are successful use, it's riddled with cablegram ties and Velcro'd SSDs, and I've adjacent added a tiny USB hub for more ports (specifically Ethernet). And, frustratingly, the aged U2720QM lone offers USB-C 3.1 speeds, truthful I deed a bottleneck erstwhile transferring information to my connected drives.

Dell's caller U2725QE show has an integrated Thunderbolt 4 hub and a precise generous larboard selection. Coming from the U2720QM, it's a fantastic upgrade. I'm peculiarly enamored by the nine USB ports, 4 of which are USB-C. And the Gigabit Ethernet jack is large to have, arsenic it's thing that cheaper oregon older Dell monitors often lack.

The Thunderbolt 4 connector, which is abstracted from the 4 USB-C ports, serves arsenic a video input and provides next-gen 140-watt passthrough charging for connected laptops. There are besides HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 video inputs, of course, positive a DP 1.4 downstream connector for daisy-chaining further monitors.

Importantly, Dell's U2725QE supports KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) functionality. If you privation to usage the show and its USB accessories with a laptop and a desktop, you tin bash truthful without swapping immoderate cables oregon unplugging either of your computers. KVM adjacent works erstwhile utilizing PiP (picture-in-picture) oregon split-screen PbP (Picture-by-picture) video mode—great for those who privation to usage 2 computers simultaneously without an other keyboard, mouse, oregon monitor.

Dell's monitors ever person a nice, nonrecreational acceptable and finish. The U2725QE is nary different—it feels well-made, it looks nice, and the redesigned show basal (which was introduced a fewer years ago) has a smaller footprint than what I'm accustomed to. The pop-out USB module, which hides nether the monitor's chin, is sturdier than I expected, and the cablegram way successful the monitor's limb is useful for those who don't program connected buying a third-party VESA mount.

For me, the bezels are the prima of the show. I've ever been benignant of disappointed by the chunky chin connected my U2720QM monitor, truthful I'm gladsome to spot that Dell's modern offerings are bully and sleek. The deficiency of a tacky "Dell" badge is besides appreciated.

However, the U2725QE does not person integrated speakers oregon a webcam. And, arsenic always, Dell's video cables are excessively short. If I were allowed to support this monitor, I'd bargain longer Thunderbolt 4 cable, which isn't precisely a inexpensive purchase.

I should besides constituent retired that this show has an integrated powerfulness supply. It's sleek and convenient, but it tin nutrient a flimsy whining sound if your home's electrical strategy is "noisy" oregon "dirty." To beryllium clear, I lone noticed the sound erstwhile I stuck my caput close nether the show to plug successful immoderate USB cables, truthful I don't deliberation it's a major problem, but I cognize that immoderate radical are delicate to this benignant of thing, truthful I figured I'd notation it.

Should You Buy the Dell UltraSharp 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor?

The Dell UltraSharp 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U2725QE) is genuinely excellent. Its 4K "IPS Black" panel, 120Hz refresh rate, and precocious colour accuracy nutrient a amended representation than immoderate different LCD show I've used, and the integrated Thunderbolt 4 hub is conscionable ace convenient.

I'm not successful emotion with the thought of spending $700 connected a machine monitor. But I could spot myself utilizing the U2725QE for astatine slightest 5 years, astir apt longer, arsenic it's super-modern and won't endure from the burn-in issues that afflict OLED screens. So, from that perspective, $700 is beauteous casual to justify.